News For This Month: Attorneys

No one should live in fear of the person whom you believe you love; yet domestic violence and abuse can happen to you and to anyone and can become a threatening problem. Domestic violence is an intimidating problem occurring in unfortunate homes that is being overlooked or denied by the very persons who are victims of this form of abuse. In many case scenarios, the kind of domestic violence is both physical and psychological abuse.

Generally, the main purpose of an offender of domestic violence is to gain and maintain control over a person and he does that by using fear, guilt, shame and intimidation in a menacing cycle, over and over again, until the victim is worn down and succumbs to the abuse. It usually starts with threats and verbal abuse and escalates later into physical abuse, the scale of which can be severe, physically, psychologically, emotionally, once domestic violence is tolerated. Overbearing cruelty of domestic violence can make the victim feel depress, anxious, alone, helpless and a lost of self-worth. Another aspect of domestic violence is that it does not discriminate; therefore, it can happen to heterosexual couples, same-sex partners, husband as victim and committed in all range of ages, ethnic backgrounds and economic levels.

When you are in an abusive relationship, be aware of these telltale signs of domestic violence: your inner thoughts and feelings are threatened in fear; a constant show of your partner’s belittling behaviour; a demonstration of control over you; an act of violence and threat. When you feel that your partner loses his anger most of the time in even insignificant issues and you feel afraid that he can be overbearing and his anger makes you feel helpless, this signals an early act of domestic violence. Overlooked or denied domestic violence can seriously lead to physical abuse in the form of assault or battery, which can be performed by the offender to the victim many times over. If your partner forces you to have sex in an unwanted, unsafe or degrading sexual activity, this can still be considered an act of domestic violence.

Recognizing these warning signs and acknowledging that there is domestic violence being committed on you will be the first brave step for you to break your bondage from the controlling dominance of domestic violence. Also, if you know someone who is being abused, physically and emotionally, be concerned as to talk to the person in private, show her those telltale signs of domestic violence, and let her know that you care and will be willing to help. Help can be provided if domestic violence is reported to police authorities, as well as hotline centers that deal with this kind.